Startup marketing manager (profile) focused on helping small businesses across America survive and thrive through the power of online marketing. Expert in online search, display, retargeting, mobile, and social media.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Popcorn – we all love it. Whether it’s light butter, full-on butter, chocolate-covered, mixed with Nuts and caramel, or even Kettle Corn, it’s hard to beat for a snack.

Now there’s a way to combine our love of popcorn with supporting William as he starts his journey in Scouting.

Our troop – 218 – just began selling popcorn from Trail’s End to meet our modest financial needs for the year. This is the only fundraiser we do each year, and I’m hoping you might be able to help.

Trail’s End now offers Internet ordering and direct shipping to anywhere – wow, why didn’t I think of that? ;) – so you can place an order before Oct. 27 and it’ll count towards Will’s goal of $500 in sales to meet his goal.

Hungry to help William go on campouts, learn how to be a better young man, and help me as his Tiger Cub Den Leader purchase supplies and camping equipment in 2008 and 2009?

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Welcome to a pretty deep, super-freak-out, "Screamer" of a week. Hanging on the edge of the Cliffs of Capitalism where most of us have never stood anywhere near in our lifetimes -- with businesses going belly-up, unable to get financing, and the Dems and Reps looking like they might actually come together to affect some needed change. All while adding language to a financial bailout package to stop excessive management payouts to those accepting even a modest morsel of the proposed $700 BILLION for two years. (Can you say deferred compensation to get around it?)

Difficult times indeed, and McCain chooses to pull a stunt to recover some of his flagging numbers on the economy vs. Obama, and flying back to D.C. (after ditching a pretty mad Letterman for a very needy Mrs. Couric) to stick his absent nose into negotiations that are making headway without him. So much for not playing politics with this important issue.

On the home front, William was barking like a seal yesterday and running a pretty high temp -- he's OK this morning, heading off to school. Ahhh, Fall. Work is going well -- lots of new stuff @ proquestk12.com my friends -- and I'm getting my head firmly wrapped around being Den Leader for our Tigers in Pack 218. Fun times ahead!

Took the p.m. off to head downtown to help the Scouts with their popcorn distribution at a warehouse. Time to bring these new muscles and put them to good use for an excellent cause.

Time to Do My Best! (See below for a little ad blast from the past. I'd still love to park one of these restored babies in my driveway; manual tranny please!)

Well, here we go again folks... Week 11 on yet another P90X 12-week workout fest. It's been an up and down round, leaving Abs largely out of the picture when I promised myself it would be front and center, BUT crushing tons of mountain biking miles and enhancing my diet to increase reps.

Results? Bouncing between 181 and 186 all week long, week in and week out, but seeing some definite results here in the final stretch that made the first 10 weeks all worth it. I'm seeing the first two bottles in the ol' six pack presenting themselves for inspection, and with Tony's stacked Killer Abs One on One routine in the house, I now have the tool I need to guarantee abs three times a week in Round 4...

FOUR... rounds. Wow. In a few days, I'll be wrapping up 48 glorious weeks working with Tony and P90X, P90X+, and his initial One on One discs.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

I have to say -- this Week 9/10 routine combo is insanely great. LOTS of muscle work, esp. upper body, with tons of leg pumping, no fluff in here at all. It's led to some interesting changes in my abs section, which I'm proud of -- almost makes me want to double down and tack on two extra weeks to Round 3, doing Weeks 9/10 all over again.

I've been getting emails from both prez. candidates lately, and this one really struck a cord, thought I'd share it. What do you think? Join me on FaceBook and keep up the conversation -- lately, many of my pals have been chiming in challenging my thoughts, and I have a hankerin' to know what YOU think as we get closer to a incredibly important choice in November:

(After you read the letter, be sure to click here and learn more about one of the candidates role in the Enron Loophole that led to THAT disaster.)

Tim --

The economy hit a new low this week, and in every part of thecountry, people like you are feeling it.

The recent financial disasters -- from the collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to the historic drop in the stock market -- are not just a string of bad luck. They are the result of years of bad decisions made in favor of big corporate special interests instead of America's working families.

More than 600,000 Americans have lost their jobs since January. Home foreclosures are skyrocketing, and home values are plunging. Gas prices are at an all-time high, and we're still spending more than $10 billion every month on a war in Iraq that should never have been waged.

John McCain's campaign is doing everything it can to focus attention on false personal attacks and distractions -- but there's too much at stake for that kind of politics.

I need your help to get the conversation back on track.

I recorded a two-minute TV ad about our economy and my plan to solve this crisis.

For eight years, Bush-McCain economic policies have favored reckless deregulation and huge tax loopholes for big corporations. Now, as these corporations crumble, American taxpayers are facing costly bailouts.

More of the same failed ideas are not going to solve our economic problems.

I'm calling for a $1,000 tax break for middle-class families -- not just because they need help dealing with the rising costs of gas, food, and health care, but also because our economy needs to be reinvigorated from the bottom up, not the top down.

I'm proposing a second stimulus package to save over one million jobs and provide immediate relief to struggling families.

And I'll end the "anything goes" culture on Wall Street with real regulation. We can see clearly that our economy is stronger when we protect investments and pensions, and avoid devastating bankruptcies and bailouts.

This is no ordinary time, and it shouldn't be an ordinary election. Help keep the discussion focused on the issues.

Nice start to the week, trying to catch up on the ol' sleep, rocking some XBL with Todd, and, in general, trying not to freak out everytime I read the newspaper. I imagine that we're all living through one of the worst financial collapses in modern U.S. history, and I wonder, truly, how we'll all remember it 5, 10 years from now.

Will the newly elected president, from either party, have any true power to clean things up/set us on the right course?

After so much reckless spending by the Bush administration on an ill-advised invasion, how can we possibly afford to prop up a pair (more?) of Wall Street giants, who will cost us all billions thanks to their greed (which, to me anyway, smacks of the "same old Republican-led/free market wonks doing what they please?")

To me, it's about having food on our table and a roof over our heads. Today, everything in my world is steady (except what everything costs!) I feel like a guy in a life preserver/in a wetsuit, watching the Titanic go down a few hundred feet from me. Sure, I seem to be OK over here. But over THERE... what horrors are truly going in inside that hull, and how will I get to land/safety once my ride is at the bottom of the ocean?

Some deep (sorry!) thoughts for the morning... to work, post-walking-William-to-school. ;)

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Had an amazing day on Sunday -- headed over to Charlotte with a very full van to watch the Bears take on the Panthers at Bank of America field. Had a party waiting for us in a nearby parking lot thanks to Joanne and Doug, and really had a blast!

BofA stadium is an incredible place -- no bad seats that I could see. Modern construction for teh football viewing win.

"The world changed today. What I say or do is very minor compared to the significance of what happened to our country today when it was attacked."

So said Expedition 3 Commander Frank L. Culbertson, upon learning of the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center.This image is one of a series taken that day of metropolitan New York City by the International Space Station's Expedition 3 crew that shows a plume of smoke rising from the Manhattan skyline.

Upon further reflection, Commander Culbertson said, "It's horrible to see smoke pouring from wounds in your own country from such a fantastic vantage point. The dichotomy of being on a spacecraft dedicated to improving life on the earth and watching life being destroyed by such willful, terrible acts is jolting to the psyche, no matter who you are."

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Round 3 Week 9Wednesday: P90X Shoulders & Arms

Wowsa -- what a week so far. Solid P90X workouts, coupled with a pair of 17-18 mile bike rides on a semi-torn-up ATT = sore chest/shoulders and all the usual good pains here and there. Really rocked the weights this a.m. to get the shoulders, tris, bis pumped -- then off to a great steel cut oatmeal carb breakfast.

One day away from Deb's 40th birthday -- time to make a cake and celebrate!

Good night's sleep? Check. Extra fuel at dinner last night? Roger. Go light on the morning snack pre-workout? Done. Results? Plyo like it was meant to be done. All the moves, all the sweating -- times two? -- and come out the other side spent. Nice.

Have to say this though -- 5 a.m. = the new dark. Fall has arrived for sure.

Had a super-busy day yesterday, nice to work in both an X and a 17 mile bike ride over lunch. Cruised up and down the ATT, and avoided a fair amount of ruts and washed away paths thanks to Hannah. No problem -- time to rock it again today...

Monday, September 08, 2008

Round 3 Week 9Monday: P90X Back & Chest + Ab Ripper X & Bike Ride

Insanely long break over... weight, hovering at 184 this morning. Diet? Back on track. P90X, back in the saddle, hardcore.

Nothing like Back and Chest to remind you what bringing it truly means -- push ups, different flavors, along with lots of pull ups, free weights to push and pull those muscles, and all the rest. Then on to crazy, crazy Ab Ripper X. Made it till the final two moves, and had to stop -- stomach issues, bah. Deep, throbbin' stomach aching. No idea where this is coming from.

But, on the other side, feeling the familiar buzz post-workout, ate my first bowl of 100% authentic, steel cut oatmeal made from scratch (read: no suger-bomb stuff you get in those packets with the wise-looking Quaker preacher on the box) and added a few raisins for the love.

Lots of video editing to finish up today, on to state-focued enewsletters, and lots more fun in ProQuest land. Check out all the latest @ proquestk12.com.

Oops, there's William -- TV's on. He's dressed, brushed is pearly whites, and has everthing ready to track back into first grade this morning. Crush the day @ Olive Chapel Elementary little Will! ;)

You know, taking a week off w/o the lovely goodness that is P90X really is a recipie for re-entry sickness. You know what I mean Xers -- stomach sore, near-puke, bit of heavy breathing where there wasn't any before, and some insane sweating.

That said, wow... was still a good time -- felt great banging out sets of 10 front and reverse pull-ups, lots of leg work that wasn't affected by my time off, and all the rest.

Finally, crashing into breakfast, and -- get this -- stepping onto the scale to see how the rest week weight was coming off. I was a little shocked to see that needle move from 189 to 183 -- a full six pounds in a matter of a day or two. Guessing, as Wes said, I was carrying around a lot of water weight re: salt in all those cheesesteaks and other crazy foods I don't normally inhale.

Smart man. I, for one, am miffed that I allowed a doughnut-like tire to form around my midsection in such a short time. I can feel it down there, laughing at me when I try to move around.

Don't get too comfortable little tire-man... I give you 5-6 more days before I'm back to 180 solid and back on track.

With the final weeks of this third round ahead, I'm thinking ahead to round four -- P90X+ maybe, with some hybrid insertion of some of the more crazy P90X routines and One on One's? Sounds good.

I have a six-pack to reveal before next July 4th/Kinyon reunion. Plenty to do to get ready over the winter.

Hurricane Hannah is heading here tonight -- should be a few inches of rain overnight, then sun up again after lunch tomorrow. No problems. Now Ike, he could be a bruiser -- we'll see.

Wow, what a week... Train ride up to Todd's last Thursday, full weekend enjoying some time with Lauren, then back on the train on Tuesday -- followed by a full day yesterday at the beach -- what a great way to wind down the summer of 2008.

Add to that two rounds of the above -- Cheeststeaks for the win, thanks bro! -- and I'm up a solid 9 pounds for the heavily carb-laden week+ break. No workouts, cept walking (a bunch) and occasional show-off pull-ups, and I was rarin' to go with my bloated self over lunch today.

Thanks Wes -- 17 miles, some nice sweat, and just in time for Hurrican Hannah to hit south of hear and sock us in with rain tomorrow/the weekend.

Great to be back in the saddle -- time to dump this extra luggage I brought back with me, P90X/bike-style...

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